New Orleans defensive end Akiem Hicks (76) has been a revelation since being drafted in the third round by the Saints in 2012.

Written by

Glenn Guilbeau
gguilbeau@gannett.com

Sean Payton is back as coach of the New Orleans Saints, and he is truly a great one. But remember, Bill Belichick and New England went 9-7 in 2002.

And Payton went 7-9 and 8-8 in 2007 and '08 when his defense was not good with coordinator Gary Gibbs. The Saints were No. 26 out of 32 teams in total defense in '07 and No. 30 against the pass. In '08, they were 23rd in overall defense and against the pass. The offense was fantastic in both of those seasons, as it finished fourth in the NFL in total offense in 2007 and No. 1 in total offense and in scoring in 2008, but it was not good enough to win more than it lost.